Moonlight and Roses
by moonstonemystyk
Summary: Complete The second war is over. Remus Lupin is teaching at Hogwarts, with Nymphadora Tonks. Fred and George creations, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny trying to help the former Auror to get them together.
1. Default Chapter

Moonlight and Roses  
  
A Remus Lupin Romance  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A smile lit his face as Hogwarts came into view. He thought back to the last time he had been to the school, "Three years ago when Ginny Weasley, now Ginny Potter had graduated," He thought to himself. His thoughts drifting away from the castle and the carriage he was riding in were carrying him to, and to Harry and Ginny. They had gotten married a year after she had graduated, and he had stood in for Harry's parents and godfather. After Sirius had died in the Department of Mysteries, Remus was the only one of his parent's friends that Harry had left, and they had become very close. When the final battle between Harry and Voldemort had come, Remus was one of the few people standing beside Harry. He had grieved with Harry and the Weasley's when they had lost one of their own during that battle. He still rejoiced that they had not lost more, the entire family had been in the battle and of the nine Weasley's, only one had lost their life*. There were many losses that day, Filius Flitwick, Severus Snape, Mundungus Fletcher, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Cho Chang, and Bill Weasley, just to name a few. They had almost lost Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Nymphadora Tonks. Most of the credit for those three surviving was given to the five people that had surrounded Harry. Ron and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and himself, they had all been hailed as heroes. The five of them had all turned at the last moment, and with Harry, and sent six killing curses directly at Voldemort. About six months later, Arthur Weasley had been elected Minister of Magic, and had passed a law giving Remus, as a werewolf, more rights. He also made it illegal to discriminate against most magical creatures.  
  
*(I hate the thought of losing any Weasley I love them all. But with all 9 of them in the battle, the odds are against them; so I felt that I had to, to make it more realistic, kill one of them off. *Sobs*)  
  
He was jerked back to the present when the carriage arrived in front of the school, leaving the newly appointed Professor off at the steps that lead to the front door of the castle. He walked quickly up the steps and went inside, Albus Dumbledore was waiting inside the door for him to arrive. "Remus, so wonderful to see you, I trust that you had a good trip," The older man said, grasping his hand. "The rest of the staff is in the Great Hall, awaiting your arrival."  
  
"Thank you Albus, my trip was uneventful, and it is wonderful to see you, too." Remus told him, turning with Albus and heading for the Great Hall.  
  
"How are Harry and Ginny?" he asked, putting his hand on Remus' shoulder, "And the rest of the Weasley Clan? I hear that Ron and Hermione are having another little one," He laughed. They reached the doors of the Great Hall and they opened for them to continue inside.  
  
As they walked toward the staff table, Remus answered, "Ron and Hermione are expecting number three and four. Arthur and Molly are ecstatic, that will make numbers 17 and 18."  
  
Albus looked at him over his half-moon spectacles, a twinkle in his blue eyes, "I can only count 16, did I miss two somewhere?" Albus asked.  
  
Remus grinned, "Harry and Ginny are expecting twins, they're due a month or so before Ron and Hermione's twins,"  
  
Albus laughed, "There will be Potter's and Weasley's here long after I have left." He continued forward, motioning for Remus to follow him.  
  
"Remus, wonderful to see you," Minerva told him, reaching over and patting his arm. "I am so glad that you decided to take the Defense post. I will only be teaching a few classes this year, seventh years only. I am going to be taking over some of Albus' workload, to make the transition easier next year."  
  
"What transition Minerva?" he asked, looking from her to Albus.  
  
"She is speaking of my Retirement next year. This will be my final year as headmaster of Hogwarts." Albus told him, smiling gently.  
  
"Who will be teaching transfiguration?" he asked, just as the doors to the Great Hall flew open. A blur of black and pink came flying toward the staff table.  
  
"Albus, I am so sorry that I'm late," Nymphadora Tonks stated as she flew up the center of the room, tripping on her robes and tumbling face first into Remus. He fell backward, and landed on his back, Tonks sprawled across his chest. "Quite alright my dear girl, I see that you have literally run into Remus," He chuckled, looking down at the two new staff members.  
  
"Remus?" she asked, looking up from her position, "Oh it is so good to see you," She jumped up and extended her hand to help him up.  
  
"Nymphadora, how have you been?" he asked, taking her hand and pulling him self up. He looked over at Albus.  
  
"Professor Tonks will be teaching transfiguration to the first through to sixth year classes," Albus told him, seeing the questioning look in his eyes.  
  
"I thought that you were an Auror?" he said, brushing off his robes and indicating for her to precede him to the table for lunch.  
  
"There wasn't much for me to do, aside from desk work. I figured that if I was going to be sitting at a desk, I should at least enjoy it," She told him, throwing herself down on the chair and reaching for the chicken.  
  
Remus looked over at the pretty transfiguration professor and smiled, "This is going to be an interesting year," he thought to himself. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
After lunch, Tonks volunteered to show him to his new quarters. As they walked through the castle, levitating his trunks behind them, he caught himself sneaking glances at the girl walking beside him. "How have you been Nymphadora?" he asked, trying to drag his attention away from her shocking pink, spiked hair and her pretty face.  
  
"It's Tonks, Remus. And I am doing quite well," she told him, stopping one portrait down from the fat lady that had protected the Gryffindor common room since he had come here as a boy.  
  
"Um, Tonks. We have to be in the wrong place," he told her, staring at her profile. "This is the quarters of the Gryffindor head of house."  
  
She smiled at him and turned to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, "Marauder," she said, and the painting swung open, revealing a beautifully appointed sitting room. "No Remus, we are in the right place. You are the new head of the Gryffindor house," she squealed, heading into the sitting room.  
  
She took three steps and tripped over a small stool, sending herself flying into a bookshelf. Remus sprinted into the room, and over to where she was laying. "Nymph-Tonks, are you alright?" he asked, gently lifting her from the floor.  
  
"Quite alright," she told him. "I had to beg everyone to keep quiet, I wanted to be the one to tell you," the words poured out of her mouth. Remus caught him self-staring at her small pink mouth, and had to shake himself. "Harry made the password, Ginny and I decorated the sitting room, but she wouldn't let me pick the colors. The house elves brought your bed form Harrys. Hermione designed the room for you to spend the full moon in, and your bedroom fireplace is connected to the floo network. Hermione insisted, so that she would be able to provide you with Wolfsbane potion. She thinks that she and Ginny are really close to finding a permanent solution," she continued, barely stopping to catch a breath.  
  
"Tonks, slow down," he told her, leading her to the large overstuffed sofa. "Sit down," he said, lowering himself to the comfortable piece of furniture.  
  
She flopped down next to him, "So, do you like it?" she asked, searching his face for a sign that he loved or hated the room.  
  
He looked around the sitting room, noticing the large desk, comfortable chairs and lovely rugs scattered around the room. "It's very nice, but how am I head of house? Minerva is head of house," he looked bewildered.  
  
Tonks smiled at him, "Well, Minerva is going to be headmistress, so she can't be head of house. They know that there is very little that will get past you, you were a Gryffindor when you were in school, a prefect, and according to most of the students that you taught in your year here, the best teacher they ever had," she told him.  
  
"But I can't be head of house. I'm a werewolf. Who's going to do it during the full moon?" he asked, looking around the room. He saw pictures on every surface, pictures of Sirius, James, Peter, and himself, pictures of Harry and Ron's weddings, pictures from birthdays and Christmases. Everywhere he looked, the people he considered family were waving and smiling at hem.  
  
"Remus," she whined at him. "You are the perfect person for this job, and during the full moon, I will act as head of house," she jumped up and smiled at him. "Let me give you the tour," she grabbed his hand and pulled. He got up from the sofa, and allowed her to drag him around his new quarters. "This door is your bathroom, and over here is your bedroom, over there is the door to your guest room," she rattled on, pulling him into his bedroom. "Your closet, and this door," she stopped and opened it, "Is where Hermione fixed you a place for during the full moon." He stepped inside the room was soft. Everything had some kind of padding on it. He could throw himself against the walls for hours and not hurt himself at all. "There are charms and wards on the doors and windows. Hermione has them set up so that they 'come on' at moonrise during the full moon," she said, walking around the large room. "She put this padding in my quarters, since I'm so clumsy," she laughed and looked over at him. 'Living with Harry these past few years has been great for him,' she thought to herself, looking at him, 'he's even cuter now than he was six years ago.' She shook her head, trying to stop her current train of thought. "I'm going to leave you to get settled in, Remus. I'll see you at dinner," she said as she turned and walked out of the room, headed for the portrait that lead back to the hallway.  
  
Remus was in shock; he was head of Gryffindor house. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione knew about it, how had they managed to keep it a secret. He walked out of the padded room and into his bedroom. He sat down on his bed, and let his mind wander; it wandered right to Nymphadora Tonks. 'I didn't think that it was possible for her to be any more beautiful,' he thought to himself. He had avoided her for the past year, his feelings for her still hadn't changed, "I'm still in love with her," he said to the room. He walked over to the fireplace, "Incendio," he said, waving his wand. Flames rose in the fireplace, he took a jar form the mantelpiece and threw a pinch of the floo powder into the flames. "Harry Potter," he shouted, sticking his head into the green flames.  
  
"Remus," Harry said, turning toward the fireplace in his kitchen. "Settling in alright?" he asked. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
When Remus had finished his floo call to Harry, he went over to the bookshelf, removed a book and sat down in one of the chairs in his sitting room. The book didn't take his mind off of Tonks. He could see her in his mind, dragging him around his quarters, talking non-stop; so fast that he could barely keep up. He snapped the book closed and went back into his bedroom.  
  
"Maybe a nap before dinner," he said to himself, stretching out on his bed. But he still couldn't rid his mind of her.  
  
After about 20 minutes of tossing and turning, he sat up. "A walk around the lake might clear my head." He walked over to the mirror in his sitting room, smoothed his hair and adjusted his robes. "You, my dear, need a wife," the mirror told him. "How about that lovely transfiguration professor?" it said to him. Remus growled and walked out of his quarters, heading for the lake.  
  
"How am I going to make it through the year?" she asked herself. Tonks roamed the castle with no destination in mind. Her thoughts were all centered on the man she had left in Gryffindor's head of house quarters. She started down the steps, headed for the front doors and the distraction of the lake, but she wasn't watching where she was going and got her foot firmly lodged in one of the fake steps. "Well, I guess that I'm stuck here for awhile," she told herself, sitting down and looking around to see if anyone was coming.  
  
"You would think, that after being here for two months, and being stuck in this same step six times, that I would remember that it was here," she said, scrunching up her face in disgust. She allowed her thoughts to wander back to Remus. She hadn't seen him since Harry's birthday, over a year ago. She had tried hard not to think about him, but when Ginny had flooed her about him teaching this year, all of her suppressed feelings for him had risen to the surface. The look on her face must have given her away, because not even an hour later, she sat in the Three Broomsticks, drinking butterbeer with Ginny and Hermione.  
  
**Flashback**  
  
"Okay Tonks, spill it," Ginny told her. "I saw the look on your face, what's going on?" The younger woman reached across the table and took her hand.  
  
"Did Remus do something to you, Tonks?" Hermione asked, patting her other hand.  
  
"I wish," Tonks answered, almost to herself, but the other women had heard her.  
  
"So it's not what he has done, but what he hasn't?" Hermione questioned, not really understanding.  
  
Tonks took a sip of her butterbeer and looked over at them. "He doesn't even seem to notice that I'm female," she complained, "Sometimes I just want to grab him and snog him senseless."  
  
Hermione choked on her butterbeer and Ginny laughed, "Well," Ginny said, "maybe it won't come to that."  
  
Tonks looked across the table at the two women, "I've wanted him since Hermione's fifth year. He just doesn't notice," she dropped her head into her hands.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll help you," Hermione stated.  
  
**End Flashback**  
  
So their plan had begun. The three women had plotted and schemed, but hadn't been able to come up with anything. Ginny had finally gone to Harry, telling him everything, and he had gone to Ginny's brothers. The six men had hatched a plot and aided by many specially created Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the girls had set it into action. Tonks giggled when she thought of all of the products that were in Remus' quarters. Pillows with guided dream spells and spells to make him think of nothing but her on them, a mirror that would tell him that he needed a wife, and then suggest her, books that were spelled to make him think of her, and the padding that covered the room he would use during the full moon, had more spells on it than she could count. Harry was sure that Remus had feelings for her, but wouldn't do anything about them because of his Lycanthropy. Tonks didn't care that he was a werewolf; all she could see was the gentle, quiet man. He was intelligent and witty she loved the gray in his light brown hair, and the laughter and mischief in his hazel eyes.  
  
She sighed and looked up, to see his eyes, twinkling down at her.  
  
"Could you use a hand?" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Remus took her hand, shocked at the current that seemed to run through his hand at the contact, and pulled her free of the step. "How long have you been stuck there?" he asked, they avoided the offending step and continued downstairs.  
  
"I'm not really sure, I've been caught in that step so many times that I just let my mind wander until someone comes along and helps me get out. One time I was stuck in there for hours until Nearly Headless Nick saw me and went to get Minerva. I really owe him for that, but what do you give a ghost to say thank you?" she said quickly, watching him out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"I'm not sure, did you try saying 'thank you'?" he asked walking toward the large front doors.  
  
"Yes, but I don't feel that it was enough. I don't know how long I would have been stuck if he hadn't come along. Peeves would have just thrown things at me. I don't really like him, he threw balloons full of ink at me once," she told him.  
  
Remus opened the doors, "I was going to take a walk around the lake, would you care to join me?" he asked, not expecting her to want to join him.  
  
She gave him one of her dazzling smiles, "I would love to," she answered, quickly darting out the door.  
  
"I never said thank you for all of the work you put into my new quarters. They are wonderful," he said, they walked across the ground's and over to the lake.  
  
After dinner, Remus headed up to his rooms. He intended to pull out a few books and start working on his lesson plans. He sat down at his desk, but couldn't concentrate on his lesson plans his head was filled with Tonks, from her small mouth to her ever-changing hair. "What is wrong with me?" he asked himself, throwing the book that he was holding onto a nearby chair. He jumped out of his chair and paced the room.  
  
Tonks went to her quarters and lit a fire in the fireplace. She took a small dish from the table next to her chair and threw a pinch of the powder into the flames. "Ginny Potter," she shouted, then stuck her head into the flames.  
  
"Tonks, what's wrong?" Ginny asked her, walking over to the fireplace and sitting down.  
  
"Well, for one, he found me stuck in one of the fake steps. Then we took a walk around the lake together, and then we had dinner. But as soon as dinner was over, he ran up to his rooms." She whined at her friend.  
  
"Tonks, he's only been in the room for a few hours. Give the Fred and George creations time to drive him crazy," she paused, "I mean, how many lesson plans can he actually work on when he can only think about you," she giggled. "If he holds out for more than two days, I will be really surprised," she told her.  
  
"I don't want to wait. I've been waiting forever," Tonks cried. "I'll give it more time, Ginny. And I will try to be patient, but it is so hard,"  
  
"I know. Do you know how long I waited for Harry?" Ginny asked her, "I had been in love with him since I was ten. He took a long time to notice me."  
  
"I just hope that it doesn't take Remus that long to realize," Tonks told her, "I'll owl you later."  
  
Remus walked through the darkened halls, on his way to the kitchens. "If I could get her off of my mind long enough, I would get some sleep," he told himself. He reached over and tickled the pear, then opened the door to the kitchens. When he walked in, he saw someone seated at one of the tables, "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.  
  
Tonks turned around when she heard the voice, "eeek," she squealed, ducking her head under the table and quickly changing her hair color to her normal shocking pink and the rest of her face to the one she used every day. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see anyone."  
  
Remus looked at her shocked, he had never seen her the way that she looked without changing anything. "Why did you change?" he asked her, "You looked beautiful." He swore under his breath, wondering what had possessed him to say that to her.  
  
"Do you really think so?" she asked, patting the seat next to her. "I don't let anyone see me that way. That's my normal face and hair. I don't really like it."  
  
Remus sat down in the chair next to her, "Nymph- I mean Tonks, you are beautiful. I have been sitting in my rooms, and I can't get you out of my mind," he covered his face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have these feelings, but you are such a wonderful, beautiful person."  
  
She sat there staring at him. "Remus, what do you mean?" she asked, crossing her fingers.  
  
"I don't know, Tonks. All I have been able to think about today is you. And right now, all I want to do is kiss you," he told her, turning his head and looking at her.  
  
"Well, then don't just think about it. Kiss me." 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Remus looked at her, shaking his head to clear it, "Did you just say."  
  
"Yes, Remus, I said kiss me," she told him, leaning closer. She leaned too far, her chair slid out from under her and she fell to the floor.  
  
"Tonks are you alright?" he asked, jumping up and helping her to her feet.  
  
She looked up into his hazel eyes, then reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine," she said. She leaned forward and touched her lips gently to his.  
  
His head was spinning she was kissing him. He put one hand on her waist and brought the other hand up to caress her cheek.  
  
'Oh my god!' she thought, 'this is better that I ever imagined.'  
  
Remus pulled away first, "I think that we should stop," he told her, running his thumb across her bottom lip.  
  
She took his hand and entwined their fingers. "Walk me to my quarters?" she asked, running the fingers of her free hand through his hair.  
  
"Yes, that would be the wisest thing to do," he said, turning toward the door. "I will deliver you to the safety of your rooms." He turned to the closest house elf. "Could you bring up some hot chocolate to my sitting room, please?"  
  
When they arrived in front of her quarters, she turned toward him. "I think that we should try that again," she said, as she quickly pressed her lips against his. Her one hand tangled in his hair, the other rested lightly on his chest.  
  
Merlin help him, she was driving him crazy, the way her lips felt, the way she seemed made to fit into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, his hands rubbing small circles on her back. He could hear her heart pounding, and the small sounds that she was making as he stroked her back.  
  
They broke apart, their breathing labored. "Goodnight, Nymphadora," he said, touching her swollen mouth.  
  
"Goodnight, Remus," she told him, turning to go into her room. She shut the door behind her, and stumbled over to her desk. Pulling a piece of parchment toward her, she sat down, grabbed a quill and began to write.  
  
Dear Ginny, Hermione, and all who have helped,  
  
He kissed me!! Well, I kissed him, but he was a willing participant. (Even more so the second time) I'm floating; I'll floo you tomorrow with the details. Kiss Fred and George for me, their stuff works!!  
  
Tonks  
  
She quickly folded the parchment and tied it to her owl's leg. "Take this to Ginny," she told the beautiful tawny owl. She turned away from the window, and threw herself onto her bed. "Remus kissed me back, I think I'm in heaven." And with that, she waved her wand to extinguish the candles, and went to bed.  
  
Remus walked down the halls in a daze. She had kissed him, twice. Was it at all possible that she had feelings for him? He got to his quarters, gave the password, and went inside and straight to his bedroom. He sat down on his bed, his mind still trying to process what had happened. He got up and went to his desk, and sat to write a short note.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I find myself in a position that I don't quite understand. I went to the kitchens tonight to get some hot chocolate, and Tonks was there. Harry, she kissed me. After that, I walked her to her rooms, and she kissed me again. I kissed her back, and couldn't help noticing how nicely she fits into my arms. Am I going insane?  
  
Remus  
  
He folded the parchment and went up to the Owlery to send it off. When he got back to his room, he crawled into his bed and fell quickly to sleep.  
  
Ginny read the short note and laughed. She turned to Harry, who was reading a note of his own, a smile on his face. "Well, who was it from?" she asked. He handed the note to her, she read it quickly and clapped her hands together. "Let's hope that he doesn't believe that it's insanity," she told him, grinning.  
  
"No chance," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "I'm going to see him tomorrow."  
  
The next month passed quickly, with Remus spending every free moment with the woman that he couldn't get out off of his mind. It had been hard enough to keep her out of his thoughts before he had come to Hogwarts, but now she was on his mind constantly.  
  
Hermione and Ginny had asked him to meet them in Hogsmead they had something to tell him. He rushed to arrive on time, and found the two women sitting in the three broomsticks, drinking pumpkin juice.  
  
"You both look wonderful," he told them, sitting down at the table and ordering his own juice.  
  
"You don't need to drink juice because of us," Hermione told him.  
  
"If Tonks smells butterbeer on me, and I didn't invite her, I might never live it down," he said, laughing. "So what can I do for you two lovely ladies today?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.  
  
"Well, it's actually what we can do for you, Remus," Ginny said, placing a sealed vial on the table. "This vial contains a potion to prevent the transformations," she told him, holding up her hand when he went to speak. "It's not permanent, but taken once a month, it will prevent the transformation completely. It has been tested for months, it's just a step up from the Wolfsbane potion, but you will stay a man, free to do what you want during the full moon."  
  
He sat staring at the two women, his mouth open in shock. "If I take it, I won't transform?" he asked, picking up the vial and staring at it.  
  
Hermione smiled and patted his arm, "A permanent solution is being tested, and when it's ready, we'll bring it to you."  
  
He jumped up from the table, "If I take it now, will I be safe tonight?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Yes Remus, taken anytime before complete moonrise tonight, and you can safely do what ever you want during tonight's full moon," Hermione assured him.  
  
"I have to go, ladies. Thank you for all of your help, and your wonderful work. Right now I need flowers and a picnic," he told them.  
  
"Make sure that they're roses, Remus," Ginny shouted to him as he ran out the door.  
  
He spent hours in Hogsmead, trying to find what he needed. He headed back to the castle smiling, and went straight to the kitchens. He ordered a picnic basket for after moonrise and went up to his rooms.  
  
After he had showered, he picked up the vial form his desk. He stood there, staring at the potion for a few minutes, then un-capped it and drank it down quickly.  
  
Right before moonrise, he locked himself in his special room. But as the moon came up, he felt no change from his human form, silently thanking the two wonderful women that had made it possible, he opened the door and scribbled a quick note to Tonks.  
  
My Darling Tonks,  
  
Please meet me by the lake, half an hour after you receive this note. I will be waiting for you.  
  
Love, Remus  
  
He ran up to the Owlery and tied the note to one of the owl's legs, then sprinted to the kitchens to pick up his picnic. He walked out to the lake, staring up at the sky. He laid a blanket down, unpacked the basket and placed the roses all over the blanket.  
  
He heard a twig snap, and quickly turned his head toward the sound.  
  
She walked toward him, a disbelieving look on her face. "How are you here like this?" she asked, looking up at the full moon.  
  
"Hermione and Ginny found a way to prevent the transformations. So I wanted to share my first full moon with you," he told her, reaching for her hand. He pulled her down to the blanket, and pulled a small box out of his robes. "I want to spend all of my full moons with you. Nymphadora, will you marry me?" he asked, pulling a beautiful ring out of the box and offering it to her.  
  
"Of course I will, Remus," she leaned over and kissed him. 


End file.
